ERIC MYERS REVIEWS 1980-87
Eric Myers was the Sydney Morning Herald’s inaugural jazz critic, his first review appearing on February 2, 1980. This folder contains reviews and articles written by Myers up to his resignation in 1982. Text published in the newspaper is reproduced here, with the addition of photographs which may or may not have appeared in the newspaper. In 1983 Myers moved to The Australian, where he was that paper’s jazz critic, until he resigned towards the end of 1987. His reviews for that newspaper appear also in this folder. Articles which appeared in other publications are included here, if they serve to document the performances of Australian jazz musicians. Readers can click on the INDEX button for a list of reviews or articles in this folder.
Roger Frampton
ACTIVISTS BEWARE: SURVEY OF JAZZ IN 1980
by Eric Myers
Sydney Morning Herald, December 20, 1980
1980 has been a year of consolidation for jazz in Sydney, with some notable gains. All speculation about the so-called ‘jazz boom’, however, has to be balanced by a healthy awareness that jazz activists still have much to do if the art form is to survive and flourish. There is increasing evidence to suggest that jazz is attracting a wider middle-of-the-road audience, outside the nucleus of jazz buffs. The Jazz Action Society throughout 1980 listed, on the average, some 130 regular weekly jazz performances in the Sydney area…
Richard Bradley
SOUTHERN CROSSING: JAZZ AND THE SUNSHINE CULTURE
by Eric Myers
National Times, December 21, 1980
The Richard Bradley Film Southern Crossing, filmed at the Sydney International Music Festival in January 1980, is a mixed blessing for Australian jazz, if not a disappointment. Certainly, it captures beautifully the warm cosmopolitanism of Sydney, which makes this city possibly the most vibrant jazz centre in the world, outside of New York. Even the surfing scenes, which, on first viewing, appear to reinforce a stereotypical image of Australia, have relevance, in the sense that Sydney's sunshine culture has much to do with the character of local jazz, and the willingness of audiences to turn out and listen…
Barry Duggan
BARRY DUGGAN QUINTET: HIGHLIGHTING AN EMERGING TREND
by Eric Myers
Sydney Morning Herald, December 26, 1980
On Tuesday night at The Basement the performance of the Barry Duggan Quintet brought into focus some of the emerging trends in Australian jazz, which may turn out to be significant. The alto saxophonist Barry Duggan, 37, is an extraordinary, brilliant player, who is now a force in local jazz after many years of travelling around the world. He showed that he has many aspects of alto playing well under control: a beautiful tone on the instrument, a brilliant technique which enables him to surge through the Charlie Parker standards, an ability to swing, and a fertile store of musical ideas…